Captain Denny E. Fitch, Sr. is a B-757/767 captain for United Airlines. He received a B.S. degree from Duquesne University and his flight training from the United States Air Force. He is president of D. E. Fitch & Associates, Ltd., an aviation consulting firm specializing in cockpit resource management and human factors. Captain Fitch has had the unique experience of crash landing a DC-10 that lost all hydraulics and all flight controls. He and the crew hold the distinguished record of the longest time aloft without flight controls who lived to tell about it. Captain Fitch has been commended by President George Bush and is the recipient of Senate Resolution 174, 101st Congress for his outstanding effort, poise and courage in assisting the crew in attempting a difficult emergency landing at Sioux City, Iowa. He has given numerous presentations to various corporate aviation departments and is also in demand for his inspirational and motivational program. Captain Fitch is recognized for his extensive experience as a flight instructor and check airman. He has accumulated over 16,500 hours of flight time and is an FAA check pilot designee. He is also a safety consultant to NASA as a member of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel.

William Gavin

Vice president of Guardsmark, a leader in the security industry

William Gavin is vice president of Guardsmark, a leader in the security industry. Guardsmark clients find an invaluable resource in Mr. Gavin, who served the Federal Bureau of Investigation as assistant director in charge of New York, the FBI's largest field office. Clients can rely on Mr. Gavins security knowledge, strong leadership skills, and dedicated work ethic to deliver the high-quality security services Guardsmark promises.

During his 28-year career with the FBI, Mr. Gavin enhanced the skills that serve his customers today. He helped direct a team committed to the resolution of critical situations. He had overall operational responsibility for all investigations in the resolution of the World Trade Center bombing and the planned bombings of the United Nations building, the federal building and several tunnels in New York. With Guardsmark, Mr. Gavin leads his team in protecting clients personnel and property while providing superior customer service.

His perceptive nature and attention to detail, honed during his undercover operations and compliance inspections in the FBI, enable Mr. Gavin to provide a comprehensive security program custom-designed to meet the needs of each client. In addition, Mr. Gavin's clients benefit from his straightforward communication.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mr. Gavin earned his bachelor's degree from Boston College in Newton, Massachusetts, and his master's degree from Fordham University in New York. He is married and has two adult children.

Jerry Linenger

Retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut aboard the Mir space station

Captain Jerry Linenger is a retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he holds doctorates in both medicine and research methodology, as well as dual master's degrees in systems management and health policy. He has also been awarded three honorary doctorate degrees in science.

During what has been reported to be one of the most dangerous and dramatic missions in space history, Dr. Linenger spent nearly five months aboard the Russian space station Mir. He faced numerous life-threatening events, including repeated failure of critical life-support systems, a near-collision between the space station and a massive resupply spacecraft, and multiple computer failures that sent the space station tumbling uncontrollably through space. As if these problems were not enough, he narrowly survived a raging, smoke-billowing fire that was later described as "the most severe fire ever aboard an orbiting spacecraft."

In his free time, Dr. Linenger enjoys competitive triathlons, ocean-swim racing, marathon running, scuba diving, skiing, and kayaking. He has written a book, titled

Off the Planet

, which chronicles his time in space. Dr. Linenger now lives "back on the planet" in northern Michigan with his wife and four small children.

Kurt Muse

Rescued American hostage

Kurt Muse was born in the United States into a family of citizen soldiers whose roots go back to the Revolutionary War. His adventurous family lived first in Cuba and eventually settled in Panama where they began a printing and graphic arts business. Kurt married his high school sweetheart and came back to the U.S. for college. After graduation, he took his ROTC commission for a short stint in the Army. Obligations fulfilled, he returned to Panama to help grow his family's business and start a family of his own.

In 1989, he was captured by Panamanian troops. He endured days of interrogation without sleep and spent nine months in solitary confinement in General Manuel Noriega's infamous Modelo Prison. A soldier was posted at his door with orders to execute him if anyone tried to rescue him.

At 12:45 a.m. on December 20th, 1989, elite Delta Force commandos stormed the prison in what was to be the most dramatic rescue in recent military history. They fought their way down to Muse and stole him back to the roof to a waiting helicopter, which was shot down twice on its way out of Panama.

Kurt Muse, called "a great American," by President George Bush, is the only United States hostage ever rescued.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Former Prime Minister of Israel

Born in Tel Aviv on October 21, 1949, Benjamin Netanyahu grew up in Jerusalem. He spent his high school years in the United States, where his father, the historian Professor Benzion Netanyahu, taught history. Returning to Israel in 1967, Mr. Netanyahu enlisted in the Israel defense forces and served in an elite commando unit.

Mr. Netanyahu participated in various missions during the War of Attrition, including the Beirut airport operation. He took part in the rescue operation of the hijacked Sabena Airline hostages at Ben Gurion Airport, in which he was wounded. He was also cited for outstanding operational leadership by O.C. Northern Command, the late Maj. Gen. Motta Gur. He was discharged from the I.D.F. in 1972 and reached the rank of captain following the Yom Kippur War.

In 1979, Mr. Netanyahu initiated and organized an international conference against terrorism, under the auspices of the Jonathan Institute—a private foundation dedicated to the study of terrorism, which was named after his brother Jonathan who fell while leading the rescue party at Entebbe.

In 1982, at the request of then-Ambassador Moshe Arens, Mr. Netanyahu assumed the position of deputy chief of mission in the Israeli embassy in Washington. He was a member of the first delegation to the talks on strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States. Two years later, he was appointed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations and served there for four years.

Returning to Israel in 1988, Mr. Netanyahu was elected to the 12th Knesset as a Likud member and was appointed deputy foreign minister. Netanyahu is married to Sara, and is the father of Noah, Yair, and Avner.

Scott O'Grady

U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot shot down over Bosnia

Captain Scott F. O'Grady was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 12, 1965. He moved with his family to Long Beach, California, in 1970, then to Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 1972, and finally to Spokane, Washington, in 1974. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1984 and attended the University of Washington for one year before transferring to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, in Prescott, Arizona. Captain O'Grady earned a bachelor of science degree (aeronautical) in 1989 and was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program in April 1989.

Captain O'Grady was helping enforce the NATO no-fly zone policy in the skies over Bosnia when a Soviet-made anti-aircraft missile slammed into his F-16. Captain O'Grady tells his incredible story of how he survived in hostile territory for six days before being rescued by the U.S. Marines in his book, Return With Honor, which spent six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. He has also published Basher Five-Two, a children's edition of his original story. His courageous story has also been documented on the Discovery Channel presentation, Behind Enemy Lines. In addition, Captain O'Grady has been featured on CNN's Voices of the Millennium, a series of segments focusing on the most influential personalities of the 20th Century.

Captain O'Grady has accumulated more than 1,300 military flying hours including over 1,000 in the F-16.

Joseph R. Perella is Chairman of the Institutional Securities and Investment Banking Group of Morgan Stanley and a member of the Firm's Management Committee. Prior to being named Chairman, he was Worldwide Head of Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking Division. Mr. Perella joined the Firm as a Managing Director in 1993.

After graduating from Lehigh University in 1964 with a degree in accounting, Mr. Perella spent six years with Haskins & Sells as a CPA and served with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In 1972, Mr. Perella earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and joined First Boston. The following year he founded First Boston's Mergers & Acquisitions Group, which he managed until 1986. From 1986 through 1988 he was Co-Head of Investment Banking at First Boston. In addition, he served on that firm's management committee for nine years. In 1988 he co-founded Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc. and served as Chairman of the Board until September 1993. Mr. Perella's investment banking experience over a period of 29 years includes strategic assignments in virtually every industry and region of the world.

Mr. Perella is a Director of the American Italian Cancer Foundation; The Atlantic Salmon Federation; and Boys Harbor, Inc. He is an Advisory Director of the Board of the Metropolitan Opera Association; a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.; and a member of the Director's Advisory Board for Yale Cancer Center. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Charlie Rose

Emmy award-winning host of PBS television's Charlie Rose

Emmy Award-winning journalist Charlie Rose has been praised as "one of America's premier interviewers." He is the host of Charlie Rose, the nightly PBS program that engages America's best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists, and other newsmakers. USA Today calls Charlie Rose, "TV's most addictive talk show." New York Newsday says, "Charlie's show is the place to get engaging, literate conversation... Bluntly, he is the best interviewer around today."

Guests on the show include major international political figures and a mixture of renowned personalities from literature, theater, film, dance, fashion, sports, science, medicine, and business. Guests have ranged from international statesmen Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev to Nobel laureates Toni Morrison, Seamus Heaney to leaders in business like Bill Gates and Andy Grove. In the artistic arena, Rose's guests range from actors Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts to musicians Bruce Springsteen and Yo-Yo Ma.

Charlie Rose was born in Henderson, North Carolina, and graduated from Duke University with an AB in history and a JD from the school of law. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has received honorary doctorates of law from C.W. Post College and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He is the recipient of the George Peabody Broadcasting Award, the Emmy Award and The CableACE Award. This year he accepted the Futrell Award, an award given to Duke University alumni who have demonstrated excellence in communications. The Charlotte World Affairs Council also honored him this year as the world citizen for the year 2000.

Norman Schwarzkopf

Commander of operations, Desert Shield and Desert Storm

General Schwarzkopf has served in numerous and varied command and staff assignments throughout the United States, Europe and the Pacific, in places such as Berlin, Alaska, Hawaii, and five times in Washington, DC, to name a few.

General Schwarzkopf is best known for his service as commander in chief, United States Central Command and Commander of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In the latter capacity, he coordinated the efforts of all Allied forces from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from August 1990, soon after Iraq invaded Kuwait, until August 1991, when he retired from military service.

General Schwarzkopf has been actively involved in conservation throughout his life and is currently serving on the Nature Conservancy's President's Conservation Council and is the national spokesperson for the recovery of the grizzly bear. Additionally, General Schwarzkopf is chairman of the STARBRIGHT Capital Campaign, to improve the quality of life for seriously ill children; co-founder with Paul Newman of the Boggy Creek Gang, a year-round camp in Florida for children with chronic illnesses; national spokesperson for prostate cancer awareness; member of the board of Cap CURE, Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate. General Schwarzkopf also sponsored a major yearly nonprofit shooting event, The Schwarzkopf Cup, which, through the event and personal advocacy, raised $13 million for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and served as the chairman of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship's March on Washington.

General Schwarzkopf and his wife Brenda have three children, Cynthia, Jessica, and Christian.

Thomas Siebel

Founder and chairman of the board of Siebel Systems

Thomas Siebel is the chairman of First Virtual Group, a diversified holding company with interests in commercial real estate, agribusiness, global investment management, and philanthropy.

Mr. Siebel was the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Siebel Systems, one of the world's leading software companies, which merged with Oracle Corporation in January 2006. Founded in 1993, Siebel Systems rapidly became a global leader in application software with more than 8,000 employees in 32 countries, over 4,500 corporate customers, and annual revenue in excess of $2 billion.

Before founding Siebel Systems, Mr. Siebel served as chief executive officer of Gain Technology, a multimedia software company that merged with Sybase in December 1992. From 1984 through 1990, he was an executive at Oracle Corp., where he held a number of senior management positions.

Mr. Siebel serves on the board of advisors for the Stanford University College of Engineering, the University of Illinois College of Engineering, and the University of California at Berkeley College of Engineering. He is a director of the University of Illinois Foundation, the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Mr. Siebel is the founder and chairman of the Meth Project Foundation and chairman of the Siebel Foundation.

He is a frequent industry spokesman and the author of three books: Taking Care of eBusiness and Cyber Rules, published by Doubleday, and Virtual Selling, published by The Free Press.

In 2002, the Business Executives for National Security presented Mr. Siebel with the David Packard Award for his achievements as a technology entrepreneur and his contributions to national security. In 2000 and 2001, he was recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the Top 25 Managers in the World.

In 1999, 2000, and 2001, Fortune magazine recognized Siebel Systems as the fastest, third fastest, and second fastest growing company in the United States, respectively. Call Center Magazine inducted him to its Hall of Fame in 2000 in recognition for contributions to the business and technology of customer service.

Mr. Siebel is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History, an M.B.A., a Master of Science in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Engineering (Hon.).

The Siebel Foundation, founded in 1996, is active in the support of education, health, drug prevention, wildlife habitat preservation, conservation, and support for the homeless. The Siebel Foundation created the Siebel Scholars Foundation, the Dearborn Scholars Fund in Montana, and the Meth Project Foundation. The Siebel Scholars Foundation endows scholarship funds at eight leaning universities for graduate students in computer science and business who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and leadership.

Honors and Awards

Lincoln Academy Laureate, The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, 2008

Ph.D. (Hon) Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006

White House Commendation, Most Influential Drug Program - Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2006

IT 100 List of Top-Performing Companies in High Tech - BusinessWeek, 2001

Second Fastest Growing Company in America - Fortune, 2000

Top 10 CEOs of 2000 - Investor's Business Daily, 2000

Hall of Fame: in Recognition of Contributions to the Business and Technology of Customer Service - Call Center Magazine, 2000

The World's Most Influential Software Company - BusinessWeek, 2000

Third Fastest Growing Company in America - Fortune, 2000

The Most Influential Company in IT - Intelligent Enterprise, 2000

Fastest Growing Technology Company - Deloitte & Touche, 1999

Fastest Growing Company in America - Fortune, 1999

Publications

Virtual Selling, Free Press, 1996

Cyber Rules, Doubleday, 1999

Taking Care of eBusiness, Doubleday, 2001

About the 2001 Conference

The 2001 conference's themes were The Threat of Global Terrorism and Crisis Management. While these topics were chosen in 2000, they are even more relevant given the harrowing terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The annual Siebel Scholars Conference is held at a prestigious host school. Invitees include Siebel Scholars, the Deans of the Siebel Scholar schools, Tom Siebel and other executives from Siebel Systems, and other distinguished guests.

As future leaders in the fields of computer science and business, Siebel Scholars directly influence the global policy and economic decisions that shape our future. The annual conference is intended to help prepare them for their future roles by providing a forum to discuss and debate global issues with current leaders in the academic, business, government and research communities.

Highly distinguished speakers attending the 2001 conference included General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander-in-chief during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Benjamin Netanyahu, general and former Israeli prime minister. Other distinguished speakers included former FBI Assistant Director William Gavin; United States and MIR astronaut Dr. Jerry Linenger, survivor of one of the most dramatic and dangerous space missions in history; Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, who was shot down over Bosnia while helping to enforce a NATO no-fly zone; rescued American hostage Kurt Muse; and United Airlines pilot Captain Denny Fitch, who helped crash-land a DC-10 in a Sioux City, Iowa cornfield in 1989. Emmy-Award winning television host Charlie Rose moderated the discussion.